Gary Yaremchuk was born August 15, 1961 in Edmonton, Alberta. The second selection, 24th overall, of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, he is the older brother of Ken Yaremechuck, the seventh overall selection of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1982 Entry Draft.

Nicknamed "The General," Yaremchuk competed for two seasons in the Western Hockey League for the Portland Winter Hawks where in his final season he recorded 56 goals and 79 assists for 135 points before joining the Leafs for the 1981-82 season.

Yaremchuck shared his time with the Leafs and the Cincinnati Stingers of the Central Hockey League in 1981-82, where in 18 games with the Leafs would register three assists. He spent the majority of the next three seasons suiting up for the St. Catharines Saints of the AHL while playing in only 16 games with the Leafs.

After signing as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings in the summer of 1985, and spending the entire 1985-86 season with the Adirondack Red Wings of the AHL, Yaremchuk played in Finland for the next four seasons (1986 to 1990). In between 1991 and 1994, he played in Switzerland, France, Italy, and England where he had his most productive season in professional hockey registering 146 points.

At the end of the 1993-94 season, Gary Yaremchuk had played in a total of 34 career NHL games, recording a goal and four assists.